Ischemic heart disease causes regurgitation of a heart valve by the combination of ischemic dysfunction of the papillary muscles, and the dilatation of the ventricle that is present in ischemic heart disease, with the subsequent displacement of the papillary muscles and the dilatation of the valve annulus.
Dilation of the annulus of the valve prevents the valve leaflets from fully coapting when the valve is closed. Regurgitation of blood from the ventricle into the atrium results in increased total stroke volume and decreased cardiac output, and ultimate weakening of the ventricle secondary to a volume overload and a pressure overload of the atrium.
PCT Publication WO 09/033,469 to Lutter et al. describes a heart valve stent having a section equipped to receive a heart valve implant and a plurality of proximally disposed anchoring elements, characterized by a plurality of anchoring threads, which with the one end thereof are fastened to the stent, and further having a brace fastening the anchoring threads with the other end thereof to the distal chamber wall to provide tension between the heart chamber wall and the proximally anchored anchoring elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,018,406 to Seguin et al. describes a prosthetic valve assembly for use in replacing a deficient native valve comprising a replacement valve supported on an expandable valve support. If desired, one or more anchors may be used. The valve support, which is described as entirely supporting the valve annulus, valve leaflets, and valve commissure points, is configured to be collapsible for transluminal delivery and expandable to contact the anatomical annulus of the native valve when the assembly is properly positioned. The anchor engages the lumen wall when expanded and prevents substantial migration of the valve assembly when positioned in place. The prosthetic valve assembly is compressible about a catheter, and restrained from expanding by an outer sheath. The catheter may be inserted inside a lumen within the body, such as the femoral artery, and delivered to a desired location, such as the heart. When the outer sheath is retracted, the prosthetic valve assembly expands to an expanded position such that the valve and valve support expand within the deficient native valve, and the anchor engages the lumen wall.
US Patent Application Publication 2007/0213813 to Von Segesser et al. describes stent-valves (e.g., single-stent-valves and double-stent-valves), associated methods and systems for their delivery via minimally-invasive surgery, and guide-wire compatible closure devices for sealing access orifices are provided.
US Patent Application Publication 2008/0208332 to Lamphere et al. describes valve prostheses that are adapted for secure and aligned placement relative to a heart annulus. The valve prostheses may be placed in a non-invasive manner, e.g., via trans-catheter techniques, and may be positioned/repositioned until proper alignment and positioning is achieved. The valve prosthesis may include a resilient ring, a plurality of leaflet membranes mounted with respect to the resilient ring, and a plurality of positioning elements movably mounted with respect to the flexible ring, each of the positioning elements defining a first tissue engaging region and a second tissue engaging region spaced from the first tissue engaging region. The positioning elements are adapted to substantially completely invert by rotating relative to the resilient ring between a first position in which each of the first and second tissue engaging regions is inwardly directed for facilitating positioning of the valve prosthesis within a delivery catheter, and a second position in which each of the first and second tissue engaging regions is outwardly directed for engaging tissue. The valve prosthesis may also include a valve skirt mounted with respect to the resilient ring.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,458,153 to Bailey et al. describes prosthetic cardiac and venous valves and a single catheter device and minimally invasive techniques for percutaneous and transluminal valvuloplasty and prosthetic valve implantation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,767,362 to Schreck describes expandable heart valves for minimally invasive valve replacement surgeries. In a first embodiment, an expandable pre-assembled heart valve includes a plastically-expandable annular base having plurality of upstanding commissure posts. A tubular flexible member including a prosthetic section and a fabric section is provided, with the prosthetic section being connected to the commissure posts and defining leaflets therebetween, and the fabric section being attached to the annular base. In a second embodiment, an expandable heart valve includes an annular tissue-engaging base and a subassembly having an elastic wireform and a plurality of leaflets connected thereto. The annular base and subassembly are separately stored and connected just prior to delivery to the host annulus. Preferably, the leaflet subassembly is stored in its relaxed configuration to avoid deformation of the leaflets. The expandable heart valves may be implanted using a balloon catheter. Preferably, the leaflets of the heart valves are secured to the commissure regions of the expandable stents using a clamping arrangement to reduce stress.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,481,838 to Carpentier et al. describes a highly flexible tissue-type heart valve having a structural stent in a generally cylindrical configuration with cusps and commissures that are permitted to move radially. The stent commissures are constructed so that the cusps are pivotably or flexibly coupled together at the commissures to permit relative movement therebetween.
US Patent Application Publication 2009/0210052 to Forster et al. describes systems and methods for operation of a prosthetic valve support structure having additional reinforcement coupled with panels. Multiple support members are distributed across the inner surface of the valve support structure at regular intervals. Each support member can include a looped portion to act as a hinge. Each looped portion is in a location coincidental with the interlace between adjacent panels.
The following references may be of interest:
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